Daron: "We have one song about the genocide called "P.L.U.C.K." And for us, we have no need to keep writing songs about the genocide. That song exists and will always exist. There doesn't need to be a genocide song on every album. It's an issue we'll keep bringing up, though, until people recognize it. I don't care if people get sick of hearing us. It's not going to happen overnight and I realize that. It's going to happen maybe 15 or 20 years from now because some kid that's a fan now, decides to get into politics later. And you never know, that kid could be the difference."
"This is not political, this is personal. Whenever it's your great-grandmother that got chopped up, you're like, "I'm coming after you now, in my own way. In a nonviolent way." ... Here's four Armenian dudes that play rock music that are actually getting attention. If we're not gonna do it, who is? It's like we have a responsibility to the souls."
"It's the prayer(outro for "aerials") that the priest will sing when somebody dies in our family. It's basically a song in which God forgives the sins of the dying, and it's usually done in a much mellower, chanty type of way. My whole vibe of it was that we didn't really sing about the genocide on this record, and it's one thing that to me pays homage to wake the souls of the genocide. I've always thought that they had something to do with our success. Honestly, from the first day we toured, I felt they had been with us, and all along the way I always feel that the power of those souls that have been disrespected help us. So I feel very confident at the end of the day that nothing can stop us with that kind of force behind us."
The Armenian Genocide was the first genocide of the 20th century. Over 1 million Armenians were killed by Muslim Turkey in the most inhumane, evil and brutal ways. The Armenians only crime was that they were Christian. Infants were tossed in the river or while thrown in air machine gunned or caught with a bayonet. Pregnant women had their bellies sliced open to determine the sex of their unborn children. Church leaders were locked in churches and burned alive. Political, religious and all intellectual leaders were promptly executed. Whoever was not killed directly was put on a death march through the mountains and deserts.
If you know anyone that is Armenian, they will have a story to tell about the genocide in their family. Everyone had family members murdered.
It's been 90 years now and Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide ever happened and teaches their children to deny it. They have gone so far to deny and cover this up, that on April 24, 2005 on Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day; Turks had a rally outside The White House claiming they were victims of genocide by Armenians and Greeks. Look at the pictures here! The biggest crime of Genocide is denial.
To this day the United States will not recognize it was Genocide. As a 2nd generation Armenian American I am deeply offended and insulted by my government.
The U.S. government continues to cover up the genocide and lie for Turkey. All because of missile bases based in Turkey they can use, they are afraid if they admit it happened Turkey will get mad and not let them have access to it, thus losing them as an allie. During President Bush's 2000 presidential campaign he sent out postcards to Armenian-Americans promising to recognize the genocide if he becomes president. Once he became president he never kept his promise. Deputy Secretary of Defense and President of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz stated in 2002:
"I think a real test of whether a country is a democracy is how it treats its minorities. And actually it's one of the things that impress me about Turkish history - the way Turkey treats its own minorities."
Imagine if he said that about Germany? He would be forced to resign immediately and called a Neo-Nazi.
The Armenian Genocide is officially recognized in France, Poland, Italy, Vatican, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Uruguay, Argentina and Lebanon.
I hope by the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide the USA will officially recognize it and Turkey will admit to doing this crime. Until then we have to keep spreading the word and speak out about it, calling on congress to recognize it and doing everything we can to stop Turkeys lies and prevent them from rewriting history. Nothing like this should ever happen again. It is happening right now in Darfur. Maybe if the Armenian Genocide was recognized, the Jewish Holocaust could have been prevented. Adolph Hitler While persuading his associates that a Jewish holocaust would be tolerated by the west stated…
"I have issued the command - and I'll have anybody who utters but one word of criticism executed by a firing squad - that our war aim does not consist in reaching certain lines, but in the physical destruction of the enemy. Accordingly, I have placed my death-head formations in readiness - for the present only in the East - with orders to them to send to death mercilessly and without compassion, men, women, and children of Polish derivation and language. Only thus shall we gain the living space (Lebensraum) which we need. Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"
If you want information about current issues concerning the genocide or to find out some books/movies to see about it, see the Armenian Issues Section.
Read an interview we did in 2003 with Van Armenya, he explains the genocide and issues surrounding it, in depth, Click Here
If you want more info on Armenia or the Armenian Genocide, visit these sites:
System Of A Down have sought to raise awareness and educate people about the Armenian Genocide through sensitive topic through lyrics, interviews, concerts and events organized by ANCA (Armenian National Committee of America). The genocide is an emotional issue for Daron and the band, as all four members had ancestors murdered during the Armenian Genocide. They lost all their extended families and history.
